Vermiculite Perlite Insulation

And not only do they significantly increase the tested r values of these walls they also can help change the fire rating of many walls from a basic 2 hour fire rating to a 4 hour rating.

Vermiculite perlite insulation.

Perlite and vermiculite are both lightweight sand substitutes for soilless potting mixes which are often used to improve aeration and texture in potting soil and garden soil mixtures. Pros and cons of vermiculite or perlite. In its pure form vermiculite is clean odorless nontoxic and sterile. Both of these amendments are mined minerals that can be used for insulation and water filtration.

A member of the phyllosilicate group of minerals it resembles mica in appearance. Many do it yourself pizza oven builders as well as importers of authentic italian brick ovens are big advocates for using vermiculite or perlite mixed with concrete. These builders will use a 5 1 6 1 or 7 1 parts insulator to one part concrete to build their hearth and skin the pizza oven dome. But and this is an important but vermiculite is more compressible and less porous than perlite giving vermiculite higher water holding capacity when it s used as a planting medium.

The similarities between vermiculite and perlite before we look at how these two minerals are different let s consider the similarities of vermiculite vs perlite. Neither medium will rot deteriorate or decompose. Both are odorless sterile disease free insect free and seed free. Perlite and vermiculite are used as loose fill insulation in the construction of modern insulated masonry wall systems.